‘Watchouts’ for work site wellness programs
Watchouts’ for work site wellness programs
By Patricia Halo, CEBS
(Editor’s note: This article is the second in a two-part series on planning and implementing a work site wellness program. The first article addressed planning, selecting a program and its provider, and funding your program.)
Watchout #4. Publicity and communication about your program. This is where you can make or break your program, so proceed with care.
• Be clear about the provider, cost, location, and time. Include a "first come, first served" byline if there are limitations of space or materials.
• Include a waiver or disclaimer on the enrollment form if physical or emotional exertion is required.
• Don’t leave anyone out. Make sure all eligible employees are informed by bulletin board notices, department announcements, flyers, or posters, and program information distributed to all departments and through employee representatives when possible.
• Establish a contact person in your organization and a telephone number to be used for the program and include them in all publicity.
Watchout #5. Implementing your program. You need to follow a step-by-step plan to include a timely and orderly process to get your program launched.
• Begin early enough to allow time for publicity and enrollment (i.e., 60 to 90 days).
• Establish a schedule and date(s) that consider other organizational needs and activities.
• Follow the line of authority you have established for the program, and support the organizational person in charge.
• Recruit interested employees to assist with on-site activities required by the program. A program can fail through small glitches, such as access to a building or facility, preparation of the space, help with lights and furniture, use of equipment, etc.
• Extra hands are usually helpful when it comes to work site programs.
• Think out of the box. Be flexible in your thinking so that adaptations can be made to accommodate on-site problem situations.
Watchout #6. Monitoring and reporting. To know whether or not your program is successful, you will need to monitor it, take measurements, and report them. This will be helpful in obtaining ongoing support and funding, and in planning for the future.
• Ask the provider how the program is measured, and understand the reports available to you and the basis for them.
• Ask for a provider report that minimally includes the participation, outcomes, and evaluations by participants and coordinators.
• Check out report formats in advance. You may be able to tailor them to meet your needs, and you will be more prepared to review them when they arrive.
• Be sure there is a measurement taken. Provide your own counting forms and evaluation form, if they are not otherwise available.
• Share reports with decision-makers to evaluate program success.
• Include outcomes that can be measured in dollars, such as the number of conditions requiring intervention. If there is a follow up component to the program, ask for an aggregate report to show compliance with recommendations.
This is a tough one, and bears more explanation. Typical outcomes reports may include for a smoking cessation program, for example, the number of employees who signed up, the number of employees who completed the program, and those who were smoke-free one year later. That can be translated into reduced claims dollars using national data.
Here’s another example: In a program that provided blood draws to measure cholesterol and blood glucose, you would measure the number of participants, those with higher than normal readings in one or more high ranges, and whether the participants followed a recommendation to consult with their physician as a result. That can be taken to higher and higher levels, depending on the capabilities of the wellness program provider and cost.
How can you select and provide programs of value to employees? Here are some benchmarks you can follow to design a meaningful program:
1.Review your organization’s health claims history. Note areas of high cost, such as cardiac claims, services for diabetics, and cancer costs, which will appear as inpatient hospitalization and extensive therapy costs. When you examine high-cost claims, whether for those chronic conditions, premature births, or osteoporotic fractures, you can focus your resources on needed wellness services.
2.Understand your demographics. The makeup of your work force, such as age, gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, and education, will inform you as to the type of wellness programs that will meet their needs. For instance, if you have more males than females; if your employees fall primarily in the age range of 45 and older; or if you have many employees in one ethnic group — all contain clues about health status, and the likely illnesses and conditions that will occur.
There are no inflexible lines that separate conditions into gender, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status — but there are trends and data that can help you create an accurate profile of your employees when you plan programs, so that you can better meet their needs.
You should also consider whether your employees are non-English speaking, or if there are cultural barriers for your work force that discourage participation in some programs. Consider how the timing and location of programs will send a message to employees and affect participation and program acceptance.
By following those guidelines, you can reduce the amount of wasted time and energy and increase the value received by your employees from the work site wellness program.
[Pat Halo is president of Halo Associates, a wellness consulting firm in New City, NY. She can be reached at (914) 638-3438.]
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